Stand Height

[DeerSpotter]

12 to 15 feet for me with Treewalker climber / but I really like the challenge of the eye to eye on the ground.

Carl

[LookMomNoSights]

Some of the places I hunt are over run with mountain laurels....grows about 8 to 10 feet high.  Networks of runs going thru them....Ive thought about hanging a stand about level with the tops in that thick stuff.....now that would be low low low for me.....but high enough to see em' coming before they are in my lap!  I will try it someday!

[wapitimike1]

20 to 30 I'd say forsure. You hunt low you get picked off by smart deer left and right. I for one don't understand and never will the 2d target. Your shooting at a round object the chest not a piece of paper. As you go up it doesn't flatten out. I'd say it's like shooting a basket ball.

[Blackhawk]

I think the areas you hunt will determine the whitetail's reactions to treestands.  My experience here in the West is different in that most of the deer do not walk through the woods with their head in the air looking for hunters, and most of us can get by with 10-15'.  

Not so true for the deer I hunt in the South and East in that they seem to have become accustomed to the danger from above, and 20' or more (with good cover) is better.

Only the fit survive...or at least those that move around during daylight in TOTAL awareness.  I guess that's why I like hunting the rut.

[Hookeye]

Define "cover"?

On smaller diamater trees I like to get where there are leaves, branches or neighboring close proximity trees, to break up my outline.

On big diamater trees, where they are wider than my slihouette, I've not had to have anything else around me, yet the deer act as though I'm invisible.

So is "cover" just something behind you wider than your shoulders or is it more of a wrap around break up?

I think it to be both, but that both are not needed, depending it seems on the type of tree by dia. one uses.

[Walt Francis]

I place my stands anywhere from 8' to 15', dependent on the background cover and shooting lanes; I prefer them at 12'.  I rarely take shots over 20 yards and do not like the steep angles and one lung hits that often occur when close shots are taken from higher stands.

[oops29]

the older i get the lower i go!started out in the 30ft. range now i'm afraid to even look up that high.haha!!